Livestock from Commonage farm in Fouriesburg, a small town in eastern Free State, allegedly die like flies due to drinking sewer water from the nearby inoperative sewer treatment plant.
The animals have been found lying next to the plant with filthy water overflowing from the manholes. The sewer water often stains the livestock’s drinking water from the river.
According Lephoi Mohlophei, one of the emerging farmers using the Commonage farm, the animals have been falling sick more than once, but their cries to the municipality have fallen on deaf ears.
Livestock from the farm include sheep, goats, horses and cows – which are said to be in desperate need of medical attention.
“We are emerging farmers, so the municipality granted us this land to perform our farming duties and we appreciate it. But it feels as if we came here to endanger our animals, because they are either getting sick or, worse, dying from drinking this stinking and dirty water,” said Mohlophei.
“We have been trying to reach out to the municipality for a very long time now and they have turned a deaf ear on our screams and cry for help. We believe that they should attend to this treatment plant, because it is not healthy, not even the smell from it.”
Mohlophei said 37 cows, 15 sheep, two goats and two horses are currently sick, but they cannot afford medical fees for the animals.
“It is just pure luck to sell these cows for anything over R4 000, because community members are not interested in buying cows that they regularly see drinking from sewage water,” he said.
The Free State department of agriculture spokesperson, Zimasa Leputla, said the department is concerned about the dying cattle.
“This will impact negatively on food security. We hope the relevant stakeholders can act swiftly in investigating the causes of the deaths, so that it can be addressed,” said Leputla, shifting the blame to the provincial department of water and sanitation.
Vystaat Landbou commercial manager Dr Jack Armour said the situation is heartbreaking as Commonage farmers stand to lose the most, adding that the municipality should take responsibility and work on the treatment plant.
“Commonage management committees need to get organised and take back the local management of the communal resource to keep out non-members, non-indigents and the criminal element, and liaise closely with the municipality,” said Armour.
The spokesperson for the national Department of Water and Sanitation, Sputnik Ratau, confirmed that the animals are drinking dirty water, but claimed it is not the reason for their death.
He said they die from being “stuck in the mud in the ponds outside the treatment works”.
“Information received from the municipality is that they are in the process of resuscitating the treatment works. There are service providers appointed to refurbish all dysfunctional components and to reprogramme the whole sequencing batch reactor process, and the progress to date is at 70%. This work is funded from the municipality budget,” said Ratau.
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